Fushigi Yuugi: Resurrection
by CatMuto
Summary: Fumihiko Kaede, a third-year highschool student, finds herself transported to a place she doesn't know.
1. Chapter 1

_Fushigi Yuugi was created by Watase Yuu_

* * *

 _The white mist was hanging in the air, completely obscuring her vision. A rushing sound was heard. Was it wind rustling through leaves? Or the gurgling of water nearby? She couldn't tell. Unsure what to do, she slowly knelt down and placed her hands on the ground, to see if she could figure something out about her surroundings, but it was futile. The ground felt smooth. No bumps, no cracks, no characteristic that could tell her anything. Was it stone or glass? Steel?_

 _Kaede frowned. She didn't like this. She felt trapped. Despite nothing holding her on her spot, she wasn't sure what lay beyond her in any direction. For all she knew, the ground could suddenly disappear beneath her feet and she'd fall. Slowly standing up, she wondered what she should do now. Then a grumbling sound started up behind her. It became louder, getting nearer and a shadow slowly became visible. Kaede turned and-_

The school bell ripped Kaede back to her senses. The open notebook in front of her was empty, her left hand poised against it with a pencil in her hand. Her classmates were arranging their things, putting them into their bags and the teacher was leaving the classroom. Realizing she had blanked out the entire lesson, she put her own things away and saw Yume leaning towards her from across the aisle.

"What's this, Kaede?" she asked, smirking. "You, falling asleep in class? With your eyes open, too."

"Uh, guess so. Though..." Kaede wondered. "I can't remember falling asleep. Didn't feel like a dream, either."

The two left the classroom, heading outside for lunch. The day was hot as the last ones had been, making the students sweat in their summer uniforms and the prospect of summer vacation still being a ways off, only exams to look forward to before that. The crickets were humming an irregular rhythm. Yume opened her lunchbox, then nudged Kaede in the side.

"Want me to figure out the meaning of your dream?"

"Why?"

"Cause you look confused." Yume said. "Come on, you know I'm good at it. Tell me about it."

Kaede sighed, though she agreed. She told Yume about the featureless surroundings and the uneasy feeling. Her friend nodded, stating that the area meant she was lost or would find herself somewhere new, eagerly waiting for more details. So the girl continued to talk about the shadow that began to creep up on her.

"And...?" Yume asked, a mad glint in her eyes as she leaned towards Kaede. "And?"

"What does it mean when chocolate cake stalks me?"

Yume's face fell in disappointment and she plopped back onto her butt, sighing dramatically.  
"Probably that you were hungry." she mumbled. "Man, you get me all excited about what it could mean, like a new acquaintance with someone important you'll meet and then you dream about running away from food..."

"I never said I was running." Kaede explained and finally started eating her own lunch.

Poor Yume, she was a hopeless romantic. And since she began to gobble up books about predicting the future with dreams or their meanings, she has begun to be almost frantic in seeing all sorts of signs in things. Most of her predictions often involved romance, like meeting one's potential new lover or how to find them, which was pretty popular among the female students. But unless romance played even a small part in someone's dream, Yume just wasn't all that interested.

"What?" Yume asked, seeing her friend turn and look behind her.

"Ah, just thought someone had called me." she answered and turned back.

"Maybe a different Kaede?"

"Mh." Kaede agreed. There weren't many people in school that called her by her first name, anyway, and she hadn't seen anyone familiar enough with her to do so. It must've been someone calling out to another Kaede.

* * *

"Too hot..." Yume moaned, flopping over and letting her arms dangle towards the floor. "Can't we ignore tests and let summer vacation start three weeks early?"

"I doubt the school would do that." Kaede consoled her and gave her an encouraging pat on the back.

With school out for the day, Yume had asked her to join her for a little detour on the way home. It was nothing more than a little window shopping, she wanted to show her some new jewelry that had been displayed in a nearby shop. But with time advancing, Kaede figured she'd better go home now. She wanted to study for the exams, but also told her mother she'd help with dinner today, so she said goodbye to Yume at the train station and boarded a train.

On the train, Kaede looked around, feeling again like someone had called her. But nobody in her close vicinity had said anything, nor were their lips moving. The only one talking was a rather tired salesman on his phone, and he was more than half a car away from her. Had she heard things again? Maybe she was mentally exhausted and just thought someone had called her.

" _Please be careful of the closing doors..._ " the automated, female voice stated after Kaede had stepped onto the platform. Behind her, the train began to beep as the doors closed and the train began to move again. Adjusting the strap of her bag, she walked toward the stairs leading down to the regular street. The sun was almost done setting for the day, leaving the sky with a purple shade that began to grow darker, the streetlights already turned on.  
Feeling a cold breeze brush against her bare arms, Kaede started walking faster. The trees lining the street to both sides always gave the area an enclosed atmosphere, which some people either enjoyed or disliked. It overall never bothered her much, but when she had to walk through this area with a cold wind going, it did make her feel uneasy. That combination tended to give off a sinister feeling.

"Mh?" Kaede turned around again, looking behind her. The street was empty and nothing but the wind was making some noise. Again the feeling of being called, but now she was certain that she was imagining it. There was just no way anyone would call her right now, unless it was some shady person, that was thin enough to hide behind one of the trees, and was thinking of jumping out at her. Shaking her head and sighing frustratedly, she turned back and kept going - but then noticed her vision was going.

Panic struck her at once, her mind racing: she wasn't feeling dizzy, nor was it going white in front of her eyes. It didn't feel like she was fainting. Instead, it felt more like a colored hue was being painted over her vision, with a sensation of floating taking her off her feet and into the air...

* * *

Shielding her eyes, Kaede tried to adjust to the sudden change of brightness around her, but she already noticed other things that felt different. The air was drier and very, very warm. Much warmer than the day had been earlier, and the little breeze that rarely blew around her sounded differently. Things smelled differently. Dry and... rough? Lowering her hand, she squinted.

Sand? Sand all around her, under her feet and even in the distance. The sun was glaring down without any clouds in the bright blue sky, a small moment of wind whirled some sand into the air, before it fell back down. Kaede looked around, still seeing nothing but sand in every direction. A desert? Was she in a desert? How... how did she get here?

"No time for that..." she told herself and began untying the scarf of her school uniform, spread it out and put it on top of her head, letting the corners of it hang into her face. She wanted to protect her head from the heat as much as she could.  
Gripping the strap of her bag tighter, she opened it and looked inside. Notebooks, handouts, her pencil case... and her gym clothes. Nothing helpful. Her t-shirt had sleeves as short as her summer uniform, putting it on wouldn't cover any more of her arms than they already were. Same with the shorts. Closing the bag again, Kaede bit her thumb.  
No helping it. There was nothing near her that she could use for shade or to cover her up more.

All she could do now... was walk.  
Taking a deep breath and lowering her head, to protect her face from the brightness and direct sunlight, Kaede began to march forward. Her footing wasn't perfectly secure, she slipped now and then. The sand was very soft and very fine, she could feel little sand crumbs making their way into her shoes, no matter how she tried to keep them out. They began to scratch on the inside, messing up her feet.

Despite her mind telling her she shouldn't, Kaede stopped to catch her breath. Having no watch, she had no idea how long she had been walking already, but it felt long. Her mouth was starting to feel dry, her knees had begun to ache from the strain of walking on uneven ground for so long and her arms were growing uncomfortably warm. Looking up, one hand reaching up to make sure her scarf didn't fall off, she saw a shadowy, vague shape up ahead.  
A town? Abandoned or were people living in it?  
Unsure if she could trust her eyes, Kaede closed them tightly and opened them again. It was still there. Should she keep heading for it? It could be nothing, but the fact that there was _something_ in this big field of nothing, made it interesting. Inhaling deeply, she held it for a few seconds and then exhaled, forcing her scratched up feet to keep walking.

It was fake... nothing but a mirage...  
She noticed, because the shape never changed. It never became clearer or closer. Panting, her mouth dry and scratchy from lack of water, Kaede wanted in the worst way to just drop to her knees and cry. Just to vent her disappointment, her frustration of her situation. No idea where she was, nothing around her and not even knowing _if_ there was anything to find here, only to find out the one thing she saw was nothing but a stupid fata morgana.

" _Can't... don't._ " she thought with as much force as she could still manage.

If she sat down now, she knew she wouldn't get back up. Adjusting the scarf again, Kaede forced her shaking legs to move, her whole body hot, sweating and her uniform clinging unpleasantly to her skin. She stumbled more than before. She was tired, thirsty and dizzy from the heat, her arms and legs growing more and more red.

"Think of something... focus..." she said to herself out loud, panting heavily. Trying to think of something to keep her mind going, anything to stop her brain from thinking about how miserable she was feeling.

Then her left foot slipped, her ankle protested at the pain and she fell onto the hot sand. The sand had scratched up her arms and legs, her left knee was shaking and Kaede still tried to force herself to get up. She _had_ to get up, but she couldn't. Pulling her arm toward her, to attempt to prop up her body, she couldn't.

Sighing, Kaede let herself relax. Somehow, the sand felt rather cool to her skin...


	2. Chapter 2

_Fushigi Yuugi was created by Watase Yuu_

* * *

Kaede slowly opened her eyes, her lids feeling as heavy as lead, and struggled to keep them open. The air felt different. It was still dry and warm, but not as unpleasant. She saw a sandstone ceiling above her. The rest of her body was just as heavy, like she couldn't move at all and the mere thought of doing so was agony. Her arms felt like they were on fire, but her legs felt worse, if possible. Like a huge weight was lying on them, pinning her in place.

"She's awake. Honey, she woke up!" a friendly voice called out close to her and footsteps drew closer.

"Hey there." a man said and knelt down. He looked to be in his late twenties, maybe early thirties, his dark hair covered with a gray-green kerchief. He was wearing a kimono of the same color, a white apron tied to the front and the sleeves were rolled up, revealing muscular forearms and rough hands.

Turning her head slightly, jerkily, her neck protesting to the movement, Kaede looked to the woman next to her. She, too, had dark hair and was wearing a kimono, but it had a more yellow tinge to its color. There was a bowl filled with what she presumed was water next to her and a small strip of cloth hanging over its edge.

"You're in Sairou." the man told her. "I found you a ways outside the city walls. You were unconscious."

"You must've succumbed to your heatstroke." the woman smiled, taking a cloth off of Kaede's forehead and dunking it into the bowl of water. "You also have a bad case of sunburn on your arms and legs. I put some herbal salve on it; it should cool your skin and help with healing it faster. You also have a bit of a fever."

Looking down, Kaede saw something like bandages wrapped around the length of her arm and figured her legs were similarly wrapped up. Inclining her head slightly, she hoped it showed her gratitude to the two. The woman put the freshly cooled and wrung cloth onto her forehead again.

"Moving will probably still be difficult, but resting for another while should help. Do you want to drink a bit?" the woman asked, dunking the other cloth into the water. When she nodded, the older woman wrung it out and put it over Kaede's lips. The man got up and left the area, heading through a large arc.

Slowly sucking the liquid out of the cloth, Kaede let her eyes close again. Her head was pounding and she was still incapacitated. Trying to figure things out, she couldn't make it very far. She had no idea what 'Sairou' was, nor where it was. The man said that he had found her 'a ways' outside of the city... exactly how far did that count? Had she, perhaps, been close enough to see the city walls herself, but was too out of it to notice? Or maybe this was fake and she was actually suffering a horrible hallucination, still stuck in the sand outside. But that seemed unlikely. The burning sensation that shot through her body, when she tried to move her arms, was too painful to be an imagination. She could hear the man moving around in the next part of the house, things clanking together and a wonderful smell beginning to waft throughout the home.

* * *

It took her two days to recuperate enough to move around. Intent on paying back the couple, who introduced themselves as Lei and Kou Baihu, Kaede offered to help in the little restaurant they ran. She knew her arms and legs were still stiff, red and slightly swollen, and she overall wasn't up to her usual strength, but moving would help and just lying around was not something she enjoyed. It made her feel pointless. And she didn't want to feel like a burden to the couple.

"Are you sure?" Lei asked, looking concerned. "It's nice of you to offer, and we would appreciate the help, but don't overdo it."

"I'll be fine." Kaede assured her.

The Baihu's home was separated into two areas and had a large arc cut out in the wall, which led to the sleeping area that had three beds in it now. The bigger area had a few wooden tables and chairs and the kitchen was in one corner. Kou was a great cook and the house was generally filled with wonderful smells, often enticing more guests to come in and eat.

After being given a kimono of similar color to wear, Lei gave Kaede a few pointers on how to work in the business. She was mostly used as a waitress, bringing food and drinks to the tables, often getting asked by the customers where she came from.

"Pick you up from the desert, huh?" a stout, cheery man teased. He looked over at Kou with a grin. "You sure know how to pick 'em, Kou!"

"I'm just glad I _did_ find her." Kou answered, barely looking up from the vegetables he was chopping up.

It didn't take long and most of the imminent neighbors got used to the new girl at the Baihus, with her short, sandy-brown hair and droopy, gray eyes that sat above some funny freckles on her checks. She was friendly and jokey with customers and was quickly given the job to also make home deliveries in the area.

Kaede wondered a bit if the Baihus were trying to get her known, in case of any relation popping up. She doubted it.  
Not that any was forthcoming, anyway, since it was clear that she was not from Sairou or any of the neighboring towns. But she couldn't help but be moved and impressed by Kou and Lei. Easily accepting a complete stranger into their work and home, yet they never asked her any questions on where she came from or where she was going.  
Maybe they were thinking that she would tell them whenever she felt ready.

Kou was rather stubborn about him being the cook in the house, though he was more than willing to talk about recipes with his wife and Kaede. And when he was working on something new, they were the first judges to convince that it was not just delicious, which it usually was, but also up to standard.  
In turn, Lei seemed pretty laidback about things. She seemed perfectly content and like a big, soft teddybear that was great for cuddling. But she had no problem keeping her husband and customers in rein, usually with a sweet smile on her face.  
Whatever the case, Kaede felt comfortable around them.

* * *

"What is it?" Lei asked, noticing how Kaede had stopped mid-wipe.

It had been at least a week, if not a bit more, since Kaede had awoken in their home. Another day of work had finished and they were doing a last wipe-down of the tables, Kou taking care of the kitchen. But Kaede had kept glancing at something on the wall and finally stopped to focus on it.

"Ah," she went. "it's just that I've noticed that type of tapestry in a lot of houses."

She pointed at said tapestry. It was an artistic rendering of what looked like a tiger and a simple, ivy-like pattern decorated the edges. While the depictions usually altered a bit, the tiger was the element to be found in all of them. She had wondered if it perhaps was a family thing; something that connected a family through the generations and its various branching off upon marriages or children being born.

Kou looked over his shoulder.  
"Oh, that's Byakko," he said, turning back to look at Kaede. "you've never heard of it?"

"Oh, of course! The white tiger, right?"

"Yes. The guardian of the west," he explained. "who gets summoned by his priestess. So the legend says."

"Priestess?"

"It's said that, when the country is on the brink of ruin, a priestess from another world will appear in this country," Kou said, wiping his hands dry on a towel and then leaned against the counter. "she will be blessed with Byakko's power and assemble the seven warriors of Byakko. And she will summon Byakko, bringing prosperity to the country again. Those symbols around Byakko there? The names of the warriors."

"I see..." Kaede mumbled.  
She certainly knew about the white tiger, but had never heard anything about a legend that dealt with anything remotely like that. Merely legends of it appearing when the emperor was ruling with absoltue virtue in ancient times. But a girl from another world? Her eyes stared at the warriors' symbols for a bit, deep in thought.  
"...has the legend ever come true?"

"It certainly has," Lei chimed in. "though they say it was centuries ago. Just like the legend says, a girl came to this world and summoned Byakko, after finding her warriors. And an old family legend is that we are descended from one of the warriors."

Kaede turned in surprise at Lei. She wanted to ask if that was true, but decided against it. It wasn't really any of her business and Lei had called it a family legend, so she was probably not sure about it herself. But given the possibilities, there was a chance it was true. Though, now that she thought about it, their last name meant white tiger...

* * *

 **I apologize for the slightly short chapter.**  
 **I also mildly rushed it, as it had been sitting around partly finished for months.**


End file.
